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OPINION: Going To Malaysia

Late last year I had the privilege of attending the Malaysian grand prix.

By the end of the 2017 season I will have been consumed by and have watched sixteen years worth of Formula 1, and that without missing a single race. This majestic sport called Formula 1 has completely fascinated and captivated me unlike anything else ever has. It has been the most incredibly joyous and exhilarating journey of my life and I am happy in the knowledge and belief that my love and passion for Formula 1 shows no signs of dwindling.

It has, so far, been an epic journey, that has included the creation of countless wonderful memories. From seeing the very first edition of Talking F1 in print, to meeting so many fans of the sport, to starting a broadcasting career, to being humbled and tremendously honoured with recognition for doing what I love.

In all of this time, and before my journalistic career commenced, I had always dreamt about getting see my beloved Formula 1 live. Ironically, there are always two questions that I get asked, without fail. The first is always Why Formula 1? I usually smile and say: Why not? It’s the greatest sport in the world. It has everything you could ever want and I couldn’t imagine my life without it. That, and I genuinely just love sharing things that excite me in the hope that it will do the same for others. The second question I get asked, unfailingly, is how many races I’ve been to. My answer has always been that I haven’t been to any races but that it’s my great dream to do so. The good news is that a few months ago I had the opportunity and privilege to attend the Malaysia grand prix.

Before setting off for Malaysia friends and family had asked of my excitement level and what I thought my reaction would be to finally seeing F1 in the flesh. The truth is I didn’t think much about it. I was eerily calm about the prospect of this finally becoming a reality. But I knew it would be the moment of a lifetime and I knew it was going to blow my mind and induce one of those out-of-body experiences I’d heard so much about. As a topped the stairs at the K1 grandstand and came face-to-face with Turn One I finally, truly, understood what the word surreal really means. There were tears and shaking too, how could there not be? I have, quite literally, lived every second of Formula 1 in the last sixteen years.

What I learned about F1 sitting in that grandstand was that joy and love for the sport was genuinely rampant amongst everyone there. Naturally, I was over the moon in meeting fans from all corners of the globe and to have every conversation be F1-centric. I discussed everything from Ferrari’s future driver line-up with two local Malay gentlemen at Friday lunch, to surmising that Hamilton would probably snatch pole with a lovely couple from Nottingham, to how great the Australian Gp is to attend with huge Danny Ric fans who’d braved a 13 hour flight from Oz to cheer on their favourite driver.

Funnily, I was somehow still working as I was keeping the crowd in my immediate vicinity updated with what was going on with times, and other various issues. I had a good chuckle at the fact that even 13 000 km from home, where no one knew me, I was still working as an F1 correspondent; with great pleasure I might add.

In the flesh the 2017 F1 cars are even more striking and certainly louder than they sound on television. I also experienced that while they’re not winning titles Ferrari is easily the most widely supported team. Amongst the drivers it was Kimi Raikkonen and Max Verstappen who evoked the biggest cheers from the crowd every time they ventured out onto track.

The biggest and most important thing I learned, or had re-established, is that F1 isn’t just a sport that people like to watch or attend every other weekend. Instead, it’s a passion, a religion of sorts that evokes great emotion and completely captures the attention of millions. This is the element that the circuit owner, the FIA, Liberty Media, teams, and fans should never lose sight of. At the end of the day Formula 1 for me, and so many others, is an experience that isn’t only seared into my brain but engraved in my heart.

January 4, 2018
The Year that was F1 2017

From Australia to Abu Dhabi the 2017 F1 season has inscribed moments, memories, celebrations, and lessons that will be well remembered.

Ferrari revival

As the cars rolled out onto the track for testing in early 2017 it was immediately evident that Ferrari had put together something special with its SF70H. It was beautiful, consistent and most importantly, fast right out of the box. Ultimately, Ferrari’s season ended on bittersweet note after often having the quickest car but failing to attain championship glory through mistakes and unreliability.

Specifically, it was the unreliability in Malaysia and Japan coupled with the error in judgment from Vettel in Singapore is what ultimately derailed their chances of taking the title. These incidents also overshadowed a season in which Ferrari had spectacularly resuscitated the prancing horse and made it a genuine championship contender.

It wasn’t solely the work of the engine department, or the designers, or the aerodynamicists, which made the 2017 Ferrari a great car. Rather, it was the combination of all facets of the team, which had undergone major reshuffling, which had made 2017 possible.

There is clearly some work still to be done but Ferrari finally has a plan in place that works. One that if refined could very well deliver titles in 2018.

Mercedes juggernaut

If Ferrari is to be commended for their 2017 season then Mercedes deserves even more praise. They faced a stern test from the Italian team in the first half of the season but showed their sublime class on every level.

Similar to Ferrari there was little doubt that the W08 was a quick car. But it’s the running of the team and the factory that set these teams apart. The most minute of details were considered and covered by the team proving that German efficiency is no myth. Through their microscopic attention to detail Mercedes proved that it takes more to win in F1 than building a quick car and that having the procedures and processes in place is what ultimately ensures victory.

New 2017 cars

New regulations ushered in significant change to the appearance of F1 as wider tyres and cars became the norm. The new look of F1 was an instant win as cars looked far more aggressive and quick than their predecessors.

Naturally, there are some kinks to iron out such as making the T-wing and sharkfin disappear for 2018. While some, read Hamilton, complained about the inability to overtake in these cars the truth is that while the Merc wasn’t conducive to overtaking there were a plethora of overtaking moves that will live on the replay reel for some time to come.

Lap of the year

Given the fact that Lewis Hamilton took the overall record for number of pole position it seemed obvious to pick one of the Brit’s quali laps as the best of the year.

But Kimi Raikkonen’s pole position in Monaco stood out as the best as the sheer commitment of the lap left most, if not all, in awe as he brushed the barriers around the famed streets of Monte Carlo towards one of the most memorable pole positions of his career.

Race of the year

The grand prix in Azerbaijan is likely one of the craziest races of the last few years let alone 2017. Blotted by several crashes and clashes the race neutralized several times by the safety-car. In one of these safety-car periods Vettel took offence to Hamilton’s ‘behaviour’ pulled up alongside the Merc and turned into the side of him. It was as controversial a move that’s been seen for the last decade.

While Hamilton, and some others in the ‘media’, called for a ban Vettel was given a ten second-stop/go penalty. It seemed Hamilton was cut-and-dried at the front until a loose headrest forced him into the pits. Still the order was far from sorted as the race resumed after a red-flag period. An audacious move into turn one on both Williams’ cars by Daniel Ricciardo gave the Aussie the lead and a victory that’ll go down as the one of the most chaotic ever.

Rookie of the year

Though Esteban Ocon had a short stint with Manor in 2016 at the start of this year he was very much a rookie. Most would’ve assumed that he was in at the deep-end with an experienced and quick teammate such as the Mexican Sergio Perez.

The relationship between Ocon and Perez was far from friendly and directly symptomatic of the fact that he’d gotten under the Mexican’s skin with his pace.

He pushed his Mexican teammate so hard that he began to unravel, Canada and Spa being the optimal examples of said Perez’ unraveling. Ocon scored points in all of two races in 2017 and finished eighth in the driver’s standings.

Driver of the year

Four times a world champion Lewis Hamilton is easily the driver of the year. But it isn’t because he picked up a fourth crown but rather how he went about it. While grand prix weekends such as Monaco and Russia show that it wasn’t a perfect season for Hamilton his relentless ability to churn out performances is astounding.

By the time he binned in quali at Brazil the championship had already been won and it was the solitary mistake he’d made all year. In the thick of the championship fight there was a relentlessness to the level of Hamilton’s performances that he’d never shown before. Despite having three titles and a decade of racing under the belt he showed his hunger for success. He’d stepped up yet another level that proved peerless in 2017.

December 13, 2017
F1 2017: The Case for & against Robert Kubica

It’s been no secret that the Williams F1 team has been evaluating Robert Kubica over the last several months. Still, there is no announcement from the team on who will fill the second seat alongside Canadian teenager Lance Stroll.

Kubica is no stranger to Formula 1 as his previous stints at Renault and BMW Sauber can attest. The Polish driver burst onto the F1 scene in 2006 with a pedigree and level of talent most drivers could only dream of. Both his spells with Sauber and Renault were underscored with tremendous speed and an easy prediction that he could one day become world champion. In 2011, a horrific crash at the Ronde di Andora rally partially severed his right forearm and devastated his Formula 1 career.

While he labeled a return to F1 as “nearly impossible” he reverted to competitive rally racing. The dream of F1 was never far away from his thoughts and the rumours of a possible return began to spread through the F1 paddock. Subsequently, Renault drafted him into the car for a day of testing following the 2017 Hungarian grand prix. The test, according the Renault who’d named Kubica as a possibility for 2018, was used to assess his capabilities. While no definitive data was shared from the test Renault would cease any interest shortly thereafter. Since then he’s completed three days of testing for Williams who are also considering Russian driver Sergey Sirotkin.

The case is easily made for Robert Kubica. He was blindingly quick in F1 and had all the makings of champion. His story is a goose bump-inducing achievement of the human spirit and there’s little doubt that if Kubica were to make an F1 return it would be one of the greatest comeback stories in all of sports. And to sweeten the pot even further he also comes with a nice chunk of change from Polish oil company Lotos.

But the question about his competency continues to linger. It’s clear at this stage that if Williams were fully confident in Kubica’s capabilities they’d have already signed him up. It’d certainly be one heck of a PR win. Nonetheless PR isn’t at the forefront of Williams’ decision. Instead, it’s having two drivers with the ability to score vital points that ensures that Williams continues to earn vital prize money as they aim to return to the forefront of F1.

The other driver in the running is 22-year old Sergey Sirotkin who also comes with a lucrative incentive from Russian backers. Rest assured that the fact that any sort of financial aspect must factor into the selection a driver doesn’t sit well with Frank or Claire Williams. Racing and Formula 1 is in their DNA but the nagging reality of the financial burden of F1, as an independent team, is a chronic symptom of a far too expensive sport. And it forces a team like Williams into considering a sponsor-backed driver like Sirotkin who likely wouldn’t have registered on the Williams’ radar without it.

The expectation is that Kubica will be announced as a Williams driver for the 2018 season and if it eventuates the team would’ve have made the call based on the belief that is capable enough. Devoid of pressure the opinion from outside the Williams team has distinctly romantic note. After all, one of the biggest reasons we love sport is for the romance of it all, for human stories and achievements. But is that enough?

Images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport.

December 5, 2017
F1 2017: Abu Dhabi Gp Review – Bottas Steps Up

In the blink of an eye the 2017 has flown by and the Abu Dhabi grand prix has brought the curtain down on another Formula 1 season.

The 55 laps around the Yas Marina circuit may not have delivered the most exciting race that’s been seen this year. Still, there were several important things to take away from the season finale. Not least of all was the performance of race winner Valtteri Bottas.

It’s nearly twelve months ago now that Bottas was catapulted into the Mercedes team following Nico Rosberg’s surprise retirement from the sport. The Finn started the season well enough but faded, dramatically, from contention in the second half of the year. His issues centered on the tyres the team said but it was evident that mentally he wasn’t on the level of the championship contenders.

Candidly Bottas revealed that he’d finally found ‘something’ in himself that aided his mental preparation during the grand prix weekend. It came together beautifully for him in Abu Dhabi as he first beat Hamilton to pole and then absorbed everything his four-time champion teammate could throw at him. And he did so on merit too. He won’t only take an enormous amount of confidence from this win but also the knowledge that he can beat his teammate in a straight fight. All that remains now is for him to do over an entire season. No pressure Valtteri.

While the two Mercs cruised up front Sebastian Vettel was confined to third some twenty seconds off the pace. It was a rather lackluster performance from Ferrari who never posed any threat to Mercedes in Abu Dhabi. Nevertheless, Vettel finished a remote third and for what it’s worth takes second place in the driver’s championship standings.

Despite Ferrari’s many mistakes and issues in 2017 they seem intent to commit ridiculous strategy calls to the very end. In a move that probably seemed like a good idea at the time a decision was made to under fuel Kimi Raikkonen’s car. Ultimately, it meant the Finn was reduced to fuel saving for almost the entire race. Besides the obvious time and focus Ferrari will have to invest in solving their reliability issues it’s clear that many other aspects of the team need to be, at the very least, rebuilt.

It wasn’t a great day for Red Bull either as the Austrian team’s season ended with a bit of a fizzle. While Daniel Ricciardo was forced into retirement with a hydraulic failure Max Verstappen could only finished fifth. In sixth place Nico Hulkenberg ensured that Renault leapfrogs Toro Rosso to finish sixth in the constructor’s standings. It’s an especially important result considering that Renault will in the region of R170 million for sixth in the standings.

Elsewhere, the two Force India’s of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon finished seventh and eighth ahead of Fernando Alonso’s McLaren in ninth. In the final race of his F1 career Felipe Massa somehow brought his sluggish Williams home in tenth place. While no points are awarded for eleventh place finisher Romain Grosjean the Haas driver delivered a brilliant drive, which a stunning overtake on Lance Stroll. Sauber’s Pascal Wehrlein was equally impressive in fourteenth.

Although the season may have officially drawn to a close attention immediately turned to 2018 with the unveiling of a new F1 logo. The white and red logo, in use for the last 23 years, has been replaced with a more modern and dynamic design that adds some much needed freshness. Roll on 2018.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

November 27, 2017
2017 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Post Race Press Conference

DRIVERS

1 – Valtteri BOTTAS (Mercedes)

2 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)

3 – Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari)

PODIUM INTERVIEWS

(Conducted by Martin Brundle and David Coulthard)

MB: Valtteri, your third victory of the season, but surely the most important day in your racing career. In a straight fight you’ve beaten a four-time world champion, same car, same day. Pole position, fantastic start and you absorbed a lot of pressure?

Valtteri BOTTAS: It is a really important win for me after having a pretty difficult start to the second half of the year, working hard on all the issues and getting better and better with everything. This weekend, just, pole and win, couldn’t be happier to end the season like this. Again, congrats to Lewis for the title and congrats to Sebastian for the second place in the championship. I was third this year, hopefully better next year.

MB: Tell us what was going through your mind when Lewis kept closing the gap and then you were just managing it. I saw one tiny error down at the bottom of the hill, but you seemed to have it under control?

VB: You know, I was really managing the race, and that way the race, that was the feeling and that was a nice feeling. I had one bit of a lock-up when I was approaching one of the lapped cars, but otherwise no issues. In the last five laps I started to go a bit quicker and managed to build a gap, and really pleased. The car was so good. Again, for this season: team, thank you very much, I’ve really enjoyed it.

DC: Valtteri, congratulaitons. Lewis, you’re not used to second, but you gave it everything today it looks like?

Lewis HAMILTON: I did. Big, big congratulations to Valtteri, he did an amazing job today to hold me off. But it was a great race. I just gave it everything, every single lap. It’s very, very hard to overtake here, so once you get to last sector I struggled, but I gave it everything. I just want to say a big thank you to the team, both here and back at the factory. What they’ve produced for us this year is just incredible. It’s a real honour to race for them. And then to have this amount of support here, thank you everyone. All the British flags, I love you and appreciate you. Looking forward to coming back strong next year.

MB: Sebastian, you secured second in the world championship but pretty lonely race for you?

Sebastian VETTEL: Yeah, it was. In the beginning I tried very hard and I think I had as good start but then nowhere to go. I locked up a little but and flat-spotted the first set of tyres a tiny bit with that. But then, after three, four, five laps I just couldn’t go any faster and they seemed to pull away and from there onwards it was pretty lonely. But then I have to say, in the second stint I really got into the car, got into the rhythm and I think we had stronger pace in the second part of the race. But not good enough to match those two guys. Congrats to Valtteri, very happy for him, and again, very much congratulations to Lewis on his season. He deserves to win the championship this year, in the end. I hate to say it, he was the better man, so I’m sure we will do our bit over the winter and hopefully come back stronger. Lastly, thanks to all the fans, the support for Ferrari has been incredible, so thank you very much. Forza Ferrari.

DC: Valtteri, you’re quite reserved in showing your emotions but we saw some clips of your family in the pits as you were coming across now, what’s the feeling now, this sets you up for a great winter ahead of next season?

VB: You know, we Finns don’t maybe show emotion but it doesn’t mean we don’t have any. I’m so happy, there’s been so much support from my family and everyone. I can’t show it too much, but I feel good.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Valtteri, think back to this race 12 months and how much your life has changed since, in unexpected ways. You’re a three-time race winner and do you feel now that you know what it takes to fight for a championship in 2018?

VB: Yeah, it is crazy to think that last year I was still here with Williams, knowing as a fact that I’m going to be driving 2017 with Williams, and now I’m here, winning a race with Mercedes. It’s a bit crazy, but life is. It’s been an incredible season for me in terms of how much I have learned with this team, with Lewis. I think every single race I’ve always been able to find something, especially from the tricky ones. Just based on one race win at the end of the year, I can’t say now that I know how to win the title. I’ve never done it before. I just need to go next year race by race but for sure this weekend gives me a lot of confidence. I had a good performance in the qualifying and today was very good. I’m really looking forward to next year and seeing what it brings but I will be working as hard as I can over the winter and I’ll try to have a strong one.

Q: Well done. Lewis, you seem very happy for your team-mate with his pole position and his victory this weekend. I guess there’s another side of the coin, which is you never want a team-mate to feel too strong going into next year’s championship. So is it a case of ‘well done, Valtteri, but in Melbourne next year it will be business as usual from Lewis Hamilton’?

LH: For sure. I think Valtteri did a great job this weekend, and also this year. To come into a new team is always difficult. It’s always a challenge to acclimatize, to get used to new people, new ways of working, so I think he’s done an exceptional job and to finish on a high is great. I think it was great to have the race that we had today as well. He didn’t really make any mistakes. I think we both had one mistake in the whole race. A lock-up for me in 17 and for him in Turn 5 but otherwise pretty much perfect, so and obviously with that pressure he did exceptional. But also for me it feels like a win for all of us. It’s a 1-2 for Mercedes, it’s a very strong win against Ferrari this weekend and we mean to continue next year. Of course going into next season, it’s back to business, but excited for the challenge ahead.

Q: Sebastian, I bet it’s nice for you to have some company after a fairly lonely afternoon for you. At the end, 19 seconds the margin, but pretty much the same pace as the Mercedes when you got onto the supersofts. What does thus result say about you and Ferrari’s challenge as we close the championship?

SV: What do you mean what does it mean?

Q: This isn’t really representative of the way you’re ending this season?

SV: Well, it’s a race. We took it all very seriously, so I think it’s serious. I think we had a strong year overall. Obviously we didn’t win, neither the Drivers’ nor the Constructors’, so we can’t be happy with that, because [it was] what we generally set out to achieve. Overall we were not quick enough. Simple as that. In the end you can break it down to a lot of details and this and that but overall the package wasn’t good enough but I think the positives outweigh the disappointments we had here and there over the year, because you must not forget where we have been 12 months ago and the incredible achievement that’s come together over the winter to set up this year, and throughout the season to keep improving the car, the engine, so a lot of work but overall but we saw today that we got a fair beating and couldn’t touch them in quali and in the race, so obviously there is lots for us to do better.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Congratulations Valtteri for the victory. Finland will be 100 years old in 10 days’ time. Is this some kind of present for your home country?

VB: I don’t have any other presents, so let it be! Let this be the present. Obviously, I’m a very proud Finn, very proud of where I come from. So, now for me it’s a great opportunity for me to say Finland happy 100^th birthday very soon. I always love driving under the Finnish flag and for all the people in Finland supporting me. So yeah, very proud.

LH: [to Heikki] How old are you? You’re one of the first Finns!

[Valtteri then repeats the above in Finnish]

Q: (Luis Vasconcelos – Formula Press) For the two Mercedes drivers. Lewis was faster in sector one and sector two for most of the race and Valtteri, you seemed to have a big advantage to make it all up in sector three and still gain a bit more. Was that a setup thing? And in Lewis’ case, you said you were not very happy with the changes that you made for qualifying. Did that reflect as well in the race, that you couldn’t get close enough and were losing on a sector where, traditionally, you’re very, very strong?

VB: I think, yeah, I could feel that sector three was good for me – but also it’s a track where it’s really difficult to follow in sector three. Once you get close there, I could feel with the lapped cars, how much you lose. I knew that Lewis was always going to be struggling as he got closer to me in sector three. I think Lewis has been strong all weekend in sectors one and two but for sure I think also the slipstreaming can help in the long straights for sector two. But yeah, for me, I could really control the race, everyone knows here it’s not easy to overtake.

LH: Yep, had good pace in the first two, the car was great today, the balance was spot-on and I did feel like I potential had maybe just a little bit more but obviously as Valtteri was saying you do get a bit of a tow down the straights – but once you get to the last sector it’s unfortunately a great, great track but not… it doesn’t suit the cars very well. In the last sector you just can’t follow. I don’t know if it was an exciting race for you guys to watch in terms of overtaking but it’s one of the worst tracks in the sense that you need 1.4s advantage to pass the car in front, and so, we’ve got the same car, we’ve a couple of tenths between us – so I was never going to overtake unless he made a big mistake and went off – and even then they have massive run-off areas and you can still keep it on. So…

Q: (Peter Windsor – F1 Racing) Sebastian, you make the car look great through the first sector, where I was watching the quick corners. I’m just wondering in the first stint where the Mercedes did get away from you. Was it a power thing perhaps, which translates into downforce or sector two, maybe sector three?

SV: Well, the first two laps were pretty good, I was able to follow and I thought, ‘OK, I can stay with them’, and it became apparent that in particular, I would say, the beginning of the second sector, the section around Five, Six, Seven, I think Five and Six they were faster than us all weekend. Straights, I think you benefitted from the tow even if you’re a bit further back to I don’t think it’s fair to say that they gain all the time in the straights. In the last sector they were very strong, so even if Lewis had to follow Valtteri closer than I was to Lewis, he was still faster than me in the last sector. So, I think that’s where it got away. I think in the final stint on the supersoft, overall we were more competitive, I felt happier with the car all around. So yeah, I just couldn’t… I hovered in terms of lap-time it was pretty much the same until the end of that first stint for us – but those two in front, they were able to just go faster with the fuel going down. That’s something I couldn’t do.

Q: (Flavio Vanetti – Corriere della Sera) To Lewis, first of all, which was, by your opinion, the key point of your season? The key aspect. And to Sebastian, with a victory in Singapore maybe you would have had scenario and maybe the story would have been different?

LH: I’d say the key points were… I’d say probably the first half of the season was maybe a little bit up and down in terms of extracting maximum performance out of the car. I think the Ferraris seemed to be a lot more consistent in that respect. I think in the second half the studying and the understanding of the balance, being really able to hit the nail on the head most weekends and get the car where I was able to exploit the car’s potential and my potential on a consistent basis was really a part of it. And of course, with that pressure applied, a bit like today’s race where you know, often in a difficult race like today, you’re applying the pressure, hoping that you can squeeze a little bit of a mistake from the driver ahead. It’s the same, I would say with the team: when teams are pushing right to the limit, you’re pushing, you’re squeezing every drop from the car, yet you’ve got to make it go quite a long distance in terms of life and reliability. I think that’s really where the stamina, I would say, of Ferrari was not the same as Mercedes. Nonetheless I think they had a great car and an incredible season and looking forward to the tough battles that we’re going to have next year. It’s going to be interesting to see what people turn up with on the first race – or the first test. But yeah, the second half of the season was really the turning point for me.

Sebastian?

SV: Yeah, for sure it makes a difference, if you finish a race rather than finishing it in the first lap but overall I think we had a good year. You have to be also fair, in the end Mercedes was better, they were faster – look at the amount of pole positions, of race wins. I think we had our chances, we used them, we had races were we probably got away with a good result even though it was on the edge. I’m thinking about races like Bahrain where we were very close to have a failure. We won the race in Hungary which I don’t think we were supposed to win with the steering failure we had during the race. We finished races that might as well have been, could have been a DNF. On the other hand we had other races where we didn’t finish. It’s obviously bitter because you’re not in the fight. That’s the frustrating bit about those races but they’re part of racing. So, that’s how it does sometimes. In that regard obviously Mercedes has been more consistent. The issues that they had, thinking about gearbox at the beginning of the year were less costly and happened to them on a Saturday or early in the weekend – but that’s how it goes. Overall I think it’s a straight fight and they just did better but again I want to emphasise the positives for us. Really the steps we were able to make. The way the team has grown together. I don’t think you always see the full picture. Maybe we are less vocal about it than other people as well – but in the end we do our job, and that’s what bought us here in the first place. If we keep doing that I’m confident that we can be in a better place next year.

Q: (Dan Knutson – Auto Action, Speedsport) Valtteri, you said you had things under control but was it tense in the cockpit or were you feeling kind of relaxed because as Lewis said, he was keeping the pressure on you?

LH: He’s a Finn. They’re just ice cold the whole time. Of course he’s so super focused.

VB: Of course he was close by all the time. I knew all it needed was one proper mistake and of course he wants to win so then he will take the opportunity. So I just needed to focus on my things really and get my stuff done. Go through the race, corner by corner, lap after lap. There was no panic at any point but of course I knew the facts but you only need one mistake. Like Lewis said, I think we both had one bit of a lock-up which can happen, I guess, but luckily it wasn’t too big a one.

Q: (Angelique Belkopytov – AutoDigest) Question to all three of you: finally on the podium we saw the new F1 logo. What is your opinion about that and do you agree with the change?

VB: I kind of like the old one. I only saw it very quickly.

SV: Just say you don’t like the new one!

VB: What’s wrong with the old one? I don’t know. I think it’s quite cool.

SV: I liked the old one better.

LH: The problem is logos… I think the one that we already had was an iconic logo I think. Just imagine Ferrari changing their logo, or Mercedes changed their logo. I don’t think the new one is as iconic but maybe it will grow on us.

Q: Lennert Wermke – Bild) Niki Lauda just retired as a TV pundit after 21 years with RTL; he just told the people live on air. Can you share some special memories with Niki being a TV expert with RTL?

SV: Well, he’s certainly been straightforward and direct and just himself, I think that’s why he had the job for 21 years you said? I’m sure he will be keen to give some answers also in the future, not worried about that but yeah, obviously he decides for whatever is best for him so… I don’t know. I didn’t hear all the stuff he said about me which maybe is good or sometimes is bad. Yeah, I think we’ve all been praised by him on TV and all been… the opposite of praise by him, live on TV. As I said, I think he’s very much appreciated for the job that he did because he’s outspoken and straightforward.

LH: Yeah, Niki’s… I hope he stays with us in our team but Niki’s been such a big influence or positive within the team and I think it’s great to have someone who is so informed about the sport. He really has a great great mind, the way he still thinks today, similar to how he raced. He’s got a great racing mind so to be able to… the benefit, for example, of him being on our team is having someone who understands what it’s like to be in the heat of battle, to make mistakes, to be on the limit, to push the car to the limit. He’s a real positive in our team. He’s always pushing, we need more time, we need more power or we need more downforce. He’s still pushing as if he was racing which is great. I’ve only ever heard positives from people who have been watching him on TV and the great thing is that he doesn’t beat around the bush like some may. To be honest, for me, he’s the legend in the paddock and he will continue to be.

VB: Yeah, I really agree with Lewis. We are lucky to have him in our team and every team needs at least one person who says things completely as they are and Niki is one of those persons and I think for the TV that can sometimes create some headlines, I think, but yeah, a lot of respect for Niki. I haven’t really focused much on who is working for which TV etc but just happy he’s on our team.

Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Lewis, you won your first championship with a Finnish teammate and now this one with Valtteri. How different was the challenge that your teammate presented?

LH: Err, as opposed to the previous time you mean? I mean, Jeez, that was a long long time ago, man. I think he still had grey hair then but… I’m kidding. I’m messing with you. I don’t really remember. I think they’ve both been… I got on really well with Heikki. We both were into golf at the time so we also had a really good relationship and I think it was definitely a transitional time for both of us and maybe a more difficult time in our lives because we were both younger and I would say for Valtteri and I, we are obviously older and wiser and more understanding of who we are and what we’re here to do and about the business and work ethic and all those different things. This has been an enjoyable… what I can say is that Finland always produces fantastic drivers and it will be interesting to see which Finn is coming next but at the moment you’ve got Valtteri at the forefront so I am going to work as hard as I can to keep him behind.

Q: (Darya Panova – F1 Only) How can you describe this season in just one word?

LH: One word… I mean epic? It’s kind of been epic, it’s kind of a boring word though isn’t it? Is there anything else, a better one? Historical? That’s kind of old. Can someone help us out?

SV: Satisfying.

VB: Disappointing.

SV: Really?

Q: (Graham Caygill – The National) Lewis, if you include the three races at the end of 2015 and the two here, you’re now, to coin the American phrase, 0 and 5 in races when you haven’t won after winning the World Championship in what we call dead rubbers. Now it’s not really the worst problem to have in the World…

LH: You’re confusing me now.

Q: What he means is that when you’ve wrapped up the title early, you’ve not gone on to win a race afterwards in that year.

LH: I’ve won a race in every single season.

Q: (Graham Caygill – The National) What I mean is after you’ve won the World Championship, in the races afterwards, because Nico won the last three races of 2015 after you wrapped it and Seb won in Brazil and Valtteri’s won here, so just really, I’m just wondering… because obviously it’s not a big problem but I’m just wondering, was it just circumstances led to that, means you don’t win after you’ve won the championship or do you think maybe your level does drop, maybe sub-consciously?

LH: I think in previous years it probably dropped more than this year. I think this year I’ve tried my hardest to stay more on it but I was doing other things, yeah, celebrating a lot so… I think I still drove relatively well but yeah, I wouldn’t say it was a hundred percent like it was whilst in the season. What can I say? When you’ve won you win, doesn’t matter with two races to go at the end, you’ve got to enjoy it so I do and try and still turn up and do the job. It’s just not so easy.

Q: (Peter Windsor – F1 Racing) Lewis, what was the grip like on your side of the grid?

LH: It was pretty good. I think it was quite equal. It felt like I got a slightly better initial getaway but then I got wheelspin which is always… I think it was just… I was too aggressive on the power or whatever. We were quite close into turn one but that little bit that I lost there I lost… we’ll look obviously, at the end, but I probably lost a good couple of meters. But I think it would… as I said, this is such a great place to have a Grand Prix. It’s such a beautiful place here in Abu Dhabi, everyone has such an amazing time. If there’s any way we can improve this track to enable us to have these battles… you’ve got these long straights where you can’t even get close enough to utilise them. If there’s some way where we can enable us to be able to remain closer in that third sector, I think this will go up in the rankings of a great circuit. I don’t know if they can do it but I know there’s money to do it but I just hope… I have hope for Abu Dhabi to get better.

Q: (Ysef Harding – Xiro Xone News) It’s time for the holidays, it’s time to take a break for a minute. What do you guys have planned during the off-season?

VB: It’s not yet time for holidays. We’re testing here next week, both me and Lewis and we’re going to be pretty busy for two or three weeks after that with different kinds of sponsor commitments and working with the team. I think before Christmas, for sure latest we will get some time off for a few weeks and for sure it will be nice to have some time…

LH: Sorry, there’s a fly on you.

VB: What did I say? Where was I? So it will be nice to have some time without thinking of Formula One, because everyone in this sport… it’s so intense, needs it, so definitely it will be nice to spend time with the family and for sure going to visit Finland.

SV: They call me Mr Miyagi as well. Probably find something to drink tonight and then sober up tomorrow, do the test, after that not much break. Obviously we’ve got work to do so I’m happy for them to go to holidays but we won’t. Certainly around Christmas there will be a bit of time to relax but yeah, I think we want to be in better shape next year so work on that and obviously, as I said, for the team it’s flat out from now, already the last few weeks it’s flat out. I think people are generally mistaken by… I don’t know, I got a weird call the other day at breakfast and here obviously the race happens later so I had breakfast at ten and there was a guy who said ‘I didn’t know that Formula One drivers had such a relaxing life.’ I don’t know what normal people do when they have breakfast, if they are running or exercising, so I don’t know. I didn’t get his point but I think generally if you think that from now until March we sit around questioning ourselves what to do. There will be some time to do some stuff that we’d like to do, follow some hobbies, get time at home with friends, family but yeah, I’m very hungry for next year.

LH: Yeah, I think it’s quite incredible how people might not realise but it is obviously a very long season for all of us, both for a racing driver and for a team. It’s very physical, there’s not really a lot of break. Whilst we’re not racing, you quite quickly have got to start turning around and preparing for the next season. A bit like Valtteri said, I don’t get a… I’m not going to be on my break until I think it’s 18^th, 19^th and then get to have Christmas with family and stuff but again, the cars will be faster next year, training needs to go up, efforts need to be doubled and so then you’ve got the winter testing that comes in, still quite a lot of appearances left to do so yeah, it doesn’t really seem to stop. Obviously we’re testing already for the next season in two days so it’s just crazy, Formula One just doesn’t sleep, it just keeps going, keeps moving on into… immediately now, development on this car’s already stopped probably some weeks ago and they’re already developing next year’s car and it will continue. The guys back in the factory are already 100 percent onto next year’s car. As soon as this day’s done, we are 100 percent focused on doing next year’s so that’s why Formula One… I mean particularly with these long seasons, it’s more and more demanding and harder and harder to do long spans like Felipe has done for example, Michael did. I’m looking forward to next year and like these guys, I know they’re going to be working to be fit and ready so I’ll be doing the same.

November 26, 2017
2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Post Qualifying Press Conference

DRIVERS

1 – Valtteri BOTTAS (Mercedes)

2 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)

3 – Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari)

TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by Mark Webber)

Q: Valtteri, you’re impressive mate, you’ve even turned up with no car. How did you get pole with no car?

Valtteri BOTTAS: I’m a good runner!

Q: You’re a very good runner. Also, I know your wife is here, so did she bring you some luck, because she doesn’t come to too many races, so it’s a special pole, your fourth career pole. To beat Lewis, we know how tough it is, so run us through your session tonight.

VB: Yeah, of course family support is always nice first of all. Today things were really getting better and better for me in the practice session and also in the quali, I just managed to find time here and there and it was all under control, and I just felt very good in the car. The Q3, run one lap was really good and so that was enough for pole and so I’m really happy.

Q: Sensational, mate, really good effort. Lewis, pretty handy lap from him wasn’t it?

Lewis HAMILTON: What a lap. He just had an incredible qualifying and congratulations to him. How you guys doing? You good? We have a great crowd here today. The last qualifying of the year, I gave it everything, but I seem to have lost a little pace going into qualifying, Valtteri did an exceptional job, so really, really happy for him.

Q: Yeah, but it’s easily done here to overcook the last Q3 lap isn’t it? It’s such a Mickey Mouse sort of track, so easy to overcook that rear tyre. We saw you run maybe a bit wide off the back of the straight right?

LH: Yeah, I think just overall it was just little bits here and there. I was up, I think, a tenth and a half out of Turn 1 and then I lost it in Turn 5 and 6. Either way it’s been an incredible year of qualifying and one that I’ve really enjoyed and it’s great to see so many British flags here, so many people here today, so I appreciate it.

Q: Good job, mate. Sebastian, well done, mate. It was a bit of a Mercedes show tonight unfortunately. You’re handy around here, but you couldn’t fight enough for the pole position, right?

Sebastian VETTEL: I was going to say: I’m getting better, you always had the edge here in qualifying. It think it was a good session. Obviously a bit of a shame to be that far back, but tomorrow we see, on race pace I think we can be a bit closer, but they have been very, very strong. Valtteri obviously had a mega lap, so congrats to him. We’ll see. It should be a fun race. Overtaking is not always straightforward but not impossible here, so let’s see.

Q: Good luck, mate, I’m sure you can give them a good crack. We’ll finish with Valtteri, we’ve got to convert this into a win haven’t we. Run us through your emotions about how you’re going to get the job done tomorrow and beat this legend that’s had pretty big season?

VB: Yeah, I was so gutted in Brazil, in the last race, being on pole and missing the win, so I have a clear target for tomorrow and I’m sure you guys will support me, so thank you.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Valtteri, pole number four, your first here in Abu Dhabi, two and a half seconds inside last year’s pole time, and a great fight against your team-mate Lewis Hamilton. Two in a row as well, so tell us about your emotions. You were very excited after the pole in Brazil but I wonder after what happened after the start are you containing your emotions and saving them for this time tomorrow night?

VB: Yeah, thank you, definitely a good feeling. It’s only the fourth for me. It was just a really clean session for me, everything was really seamless. The team did a really good job on the timing, what time to be on the track, and we had to make very minimal changes during the qualifying to any settings really. I could just really focus on the driving itself and finding lap time here and there. I managed to get pretty much everything together in Q3, run one. It was a good lap. In the end that was enough for pole. I know the day is tomorrow and there is no point in getting too excited. Of course, you need to enjoy the good feeling, but it’s only today and tomorrow is the day that counts.

Q: Lewis, it’s been a strong weekend so far, you’ve looked good in all conditions. You were nine one thousandths of a second up on Valtteri’s time going into the final part of the lap. Was it that last exit of the corner where it got away from you? Tell us about that and also how you plan to turn it round tomorrow?

LH: First of all, congratulations to Valtteri, he did an exceptional job through qualifying and it’s great to see to him performing at this level, particularly at the end of the season, which puts him in a great position for next year. For me, I was good through practice and P3 was great and then I made some changes in anticipation of the track cooling and in hindsight it probably wasn’t the right one. But it was nice to experiment, which I hadn’t really done all season long. I experimented and then I struggled a little bit with the balance generally through the laps. I think at the end I was a tenth and a half up out of Turn 1 and then I lost it somewhere else in the rest of the lap. Nonetheless it was fun to be out there challenging, the last qualifying of the year, finally it’s done and we can just get on with the race tomorrow. It’s a very hard track to overtake, there are a couple of opportunities but I’ll give it everything I’ve got that’s for sure.

Q: Sebastian, half a second the margin to Mercedes. Maurizio Arrivabene, on the pit wall, shook his head when he saw the gap. Were you shaking your head as well? Was that a little bit more than you expected in this qualifying session, and can you turn it around in the race?

SV: Overall we tried everything. I think the balance of the car was good all weekend. We trimmed it in the right way. Practice this morning was a bit tricky but qualifying really came together, so I’m quite happy with that. The gap is big but also it’s a long lap, so naturally the gaps are a bit more spread. I think in the race we usually get a little bit closer. Qualifying we’ve seen all year that we’ve never had the car to put half a second between us and somebody else. For the race I’m fairly optimistic. I think yesterday was good, we tried some stuff, so we’ll see how close we get tomorrow. We touched on overtaking – it’s not the easiest one but it’s not impossible, so let’s see what we can do.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Flavio Vanetti – Corriere della Sera) Sebastian tomorrow in your mind you will have the attempt to try to win or the defence of the second place in the championship?

SV: What do you think? I think we’re here to race. Obviously it’s important to seal second place. We are in a better position than Valtteri but he starts the race from a better position than we do. Let’s see. It’s a long race but we’re here to race and the ambition obviously is to win, to get to the podium. We had a bit of a wobble finding our places, Lewis and myself, where’s second, where’s third here in the press conference, so it’s always better to aim for the middle I guess.

Q: (Graham Harris – Motorsport Monday) Another one for Sebastian. Earlier this week you said you were determined to take Ferrari to the top – but it was hard. Just how hard do you think it’s going to be? Is it going to be next year, or the year after?

SV: Well, I don’t know, we haven’t achieved it yet. I think, as a team, we’ve taken some big changes. I think overall it’s heading in the right direction. We have a very competitive car, we’ve had a very strong year. Obviously we would have liked it to be a bit different at the end but yeah, it doesn’t matter now. We look forward. The year is more or less over, we have one more race and we want to finish with dignity. We want to show that we’re here to fight and we want to get Ferrari on the podium and ideally win the race. Let’s see what we can do – but overall it is hard, but everybody involved, you can ask the same question, they’ll give you the same answer. I’m obviously one of the drivers that’s driving the car, that’s my main job but overall I think we’re all seeking to improve and so far I think we’ve done pretty well. If we can do another big step like that, we’re heading in the right way.

Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Congratulations Valtteri. Did you need that killer instinct? Or how did you take that pole?

VB: I think I didn’t change my approach from last weekend in any way for the qualifying, and, like I said before, it was really clean, nice and clean session and I just managed to find time run by run from different corners. The car was feeling much better than at any other point this weekend. That allowed me to really work on the details. Found enough details to be on pole.

Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Question for Sebastian and a question for Bottas. For Sebastian, it seemed like you lost a lot of time in sector two. There is something lacking in the speed? And for Valtteri, if I don’t make a mistake, you won just once starting from the pole. How important after what happened in Interlagos will it be to start well tomorrow and then keep the position?

SV: I think you’re referring to the time-loss compared to the best overall time in sector two which – I don’t know – maybe Valtteri or Lewis had? I mean, it’s a long sector but there are a lot of straights. I think the corner bit we got it right, I was fighting a little bit throughout qualifying with the sequence of Five, Six, Seven, so I’m looking forward to get back and have a look. Overall I was pretty happy with the car around the lap, in particular, compared to previous years in sector two. But yeah, I saw as well that we’re losing quite a bit of time, so I don’t know. I guess it’s probably on the straights but we need to see.

Valtteri?

VB: Yeah, of course, when you start from the pole, the only target you have anyway… well, if you start from the front row or second row, you still have a realistic chance to fight for the win but pole is the best place to start and a win is obviously the only target. And yeah, I might have won only once from the pole but it’s not so many poles I’ve had and yeah, so, I’m looking forwards to tomorrow, it should be interesting.

Q: (Silvia Arias – Parabrisas) Congratulations Valtteri. You said two days ago that this track is not your favourite one – but do you like it now? A little bit more after this pole? And how much did you enjoy the lap?

VB: Well, I never said I don’t like it. I said for me it’s average. Well, of course, it’s always nicer when you have good memories from a circuit – like a pole position. But yeah, it’s not real the point. The point is to be performing in every single track. So, that’s going to be the goal in the future.

Q: (Peter Windsor – F1 Racing) Lewis, Turns Two, Three and Four looked very impressive from the outside. I wonder if they now come under the heading of ‘easy flat’ or whether they are very demanding corners still and what they’ll be like on a heavy fuel load. Interested to get your input on that. And secondly, your first qualifying lap in the Q3. Watching from the roof it looked like you braked slightly too late at the end of the straight and ran a little bit wide – but I don’t know if that’s an optical illusion from where we were watching, or not.

LH: It’s not like Eau Rouge, where Eau Rouge is a lot straighter, more simple. It’s still, Turn Two and Three, whilst it is flat, you feel that Turn Three is kind of… you feel the rear of the car moving a little bit. When you put heavy fuel on, it actually gets a little easier because you’re just slower in general. So, the car is a lot better through there this year than it was last year, obviously – but they’re still considered corners and they still put a huge amount of heat into the tyres, so you do take a lot of consideration when you enter them. And, you’re talking about Turn 8 or 11. On the first one… I think that’s the place where Valtteri was slower on the way in, quicker on the way out. I was… I’m always late on the brakes and brake as deep as I can into the corners. I think on at least one of the laps I had a small under-rotation into there. Nothing too crazy but it put a bit of understeer into the car. In general, yeah, it was a session of which I had to push a lot. P3 I was much more comfortable with the car, and then yeah, into this session it was not the case and it was like ‘ah, I’ve got a serious fight on my hands here’. I gave it everything I could but it was on the knife-edge and ultimately Valtteri did the better job.

Q: (Graham Cagyill – The National) Question for Sebastian. The last time you were in a championship season when you missed out on the title and you had a chance of winning it was 2009. When you missed out to Jenson and you came to Abu Dhabi for the first time, and you went on to win this race and went on to win the championship the following season – so I was just interested to find out how much that win in 2009 helped you in your confidence for 2010 – and do you think something similar tomorrow could help you for 2018?

SV: Well, I’m a lot older than I was back then for a start. A lot wiser. I think, yeah, 2009 for myself was obviously the first time that I found myself in the front of the field, every now and then, and also for the team back then. I think yes, it did give us huge momentum for the year after, for the winter. I think the whole year gave us confidence. Then 2010. We had an incredible car and it was very close, to win the championship, I think we should have done better – but yeah, I had my mistakes, I think we have some here and there. Bu tin general I think the last race is important. Obviously if you’re not in the fight for the championship, it still is important to set things up for the winter, just give a boost to the whole factory. So let’s see what we do. I don’t believe that the result tomorrow determines next year – but for sure a good result always helps you, gives everyone a boost over the winter, so we try our best.

November 25, 2017
F1 2017: Abu Dhabi Gp Free Practice 2 Report – Hamilton Fastest

Lewis Hamilton led the way at the end of the second free practice session for Mercedes ahead of the Abu Dhabi grand prix.

Hamilton’s fastest time of 1:37:877, a circuit record, was 0.149 quicker than the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel. Daniel Ricciardo, Kimi Raikkonen, and Valtteri Bottas completed the top five at the end of the ninety minute session.

Unlike the earlier session in the day the second free practice session provided a much clearer picture of what the rest of the weekend could look like. And while Mercedes and Ferrari were nip and tuck in terms of long run pace Red Bull, especially in the case of Verstappen, were slightly adrift of the ultimate pace. However, several factors could be contributing the Red Bull’s seemingly slower pace not least of all being power unit reliability.

Similarly, Hamilton’s looks set fair for Sunday’s race given the much fresher engine in the back of the Mercedes. Nevertheless, Vettel doesn’t look far off and shouldn’t be written off.

November 24, 2017
F1 2017: Abu Dhabi Gp Free Practice 1 Report – Vettel Leads

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel set the quickest time in the first free practice session ahead of Sunday’s season ending Abu Dhabi grand prix.

The Ferrari driver’s quickest time was only a tenth quicker than that of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was third, a further 0.026 off Hamilton’s time. Valtteri Bottas in the second Mercedes and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen rounded out the top five.

While teams and drivers completed a formulated run program for the first session of the day the first practice around Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit is one of the least representative sessions of the entire season. As the qualifying session and race will be run during twilight and into the evening the temperatures experienced in these sessions will be far removed from what is presented in Friday’s FP1 session.

Nevertheless, several teams including McLaren and Ferrari made the most of the session by completing several aerodynamic test. It’s likely that they’ve run the various parts with an eye on 2018. It was also revealed that following Sunday’s race Liberty Media will reveal the new F1 logo.

November 24, 2017
New Tyre Compounds and Colours Announced by Pirelli for 2018

Formula One tyre supplier Pirelli has announced two new tyre compounds for 2018 as well as new colours across the slick tyre range.

From next year Pirelli will add two new compounds to the existing 5 compounds the already have. Enter the super-hard compound and hypersoft compound.

The 2018 tyres, Pirelli say, are a step softer. The previous orange marked hard tyre will now be marked ice blue, while the super hard will be marked in orange indicating the hardest compound available.

A new pink marked hypersoft will be introduced following a social media campaign to name the new compound.

This brings us to a total of 7 slick compounds and the two wet weather tyre compounds.

Pirelli say that the 2018 tyres have been redesigned and the working ranges for each compound have been revised. These two new compounds will allow teams greater flexibility in choosing tyres for each race.

Mario Isola, Head of Car Racing at Pirelli: “Compared to this year, when the tyres grew by 25% to fit a brand-new generation of cars, the changes for next year are less far-reaching.

“However, we’re pleased to present some important innovations with softer and faster compounds across the range: including the new hypersoft.

“We realised that, under the unique circumstances of this year, some of our 2017 compounds were perhaps conservative: the tyres we have created for 2018 addresses this, in line with the objective of having around two pit stops at most races.

“However, the fundamental design concept of the tyres hasn’t changed next year, preserving the attributes that all drivers have appreciated this year and allowing them to push hard from the start to the finish of each stint.

“The new range consists of faster tyres that should lead to even harder and more spectacular racing in 2018.”

November 23, 2017
F1 2017: Abu Dhabi Gp Preview – Much to gain at Season Finale

The final round of the 2017 F1 season is upon us as the paddock heads east to the twilight race of Abu Dhabi.

Introduced to the calendar several years ago the Yas Marina Circuit has delivered resplendent views of F1 cars at dusk for since 2009. With no expense spared the circuit and surrounding facilities are, arguably, the grandest of the lot. Complete with an its Ferrari World theme park and several thousand coloured LED lights all the facets of the Abu Dhabi combine to deliver a visual spectacle of note.

Despite not being known for delivering the most memorable on track racing the Abu Dhabi based circuit has nevertheless seen the creation of several memorable moments for the sport. It was here after all, in 2010, that Sebastian Vettel won his first world championship title and here too where Kimi Raikkonen, en route to victory, uttered the now famous “leave me alone, I know what I’m doing” radio message.

In 2016 Lewis Hamilton turned over every trick in his book to win the title and even attempted to back rival Nico Rosberg into the clutches of other cars with the hope that he would be overtaken and thus not win the title. Alas, none of Hamilton’s moves had done the trick and Rosberg took a well-deserved win. It’s a far different story twelve months later. Not only does Hamilton arrive in Abu Dhabi as a four-time champion but also there’s no Nico Rosberg on the other side of the Mercedes garage. Instead, it’s Valtteri Bottas who sits in the other Mercedes cockpit and who has a lot to prove. It’s been a lackluster second half of the season for Bottas who has summarily been blown away by Hamilton. While he scored a pole in Brazil he folded at the first sight of the front-wing of Vettel’s Ferrari. He needs a big performance this weekend in order to beginning righting his ship for 2018. If not, Hamilton may well blow him away, again.

Similarly, Daniel Ricciardo could do with putting one over teammate Verstappen who has stolen the limelight from the Aussie this season. The Yas Marina circuit, 5.5 kilometers in length, does have several long straits in its layout but the second, more technical sector, should play to the Red Bull’s strengths. “ The final sector at Yas Marina is actually quite technical so you have to be really precise there, but it should also be our strongest part of the track” said Verstappen. “There are quite a few overtaking opportunities to make the race interesting, before the long straight at the hairpin and then at the end of the straight under braking for the next chicane section”.

While the constructor’s championship has been settled at the top of the standings the battle for sixth is going down to the wire. Only six points separate Toro Rosso, Renault, and Haas and with the promise of a big pay day for finishing sixth the battle between these three teams could be the highlight of the weekend.

Through nineteen rounds and 1147 racing laps there’s still much to play for and gain the final race of the 2017 season.

November 22, 2017